Machine for forming hollow glassware



July 18, 1933. V E. L. HUGHES 1,919,162

MACHINE FOR FORMING HOLLOW GLASSWARE Filed March 21, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 18, 1933. E. L. HUGHES MACHINE FOR FORMING HOLLOW GLASSWARE Filed March 21, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented July 18, 1933 uniran STATES PATENT oFFicE "f 7 WARD L. nuen ns on rronnno, 01110, ASSIGNOR "ro ownns-rnmnois GLASS,

COMPANY, A CORPORATION ononro MACHINE non romaine noLLoweLnsswARn Application filed March 21, i932. Serial Haw 0,185.

Thepresent invention relatesto improvements 111 machines for form-ing'hollow glassware and more particularly to mechanism.

for severing gathered mold charges of"mol ten glass from themain-supply body.

mold cavities and replaced by aineasuredquantity of moltenglass. The charging or blank mold is then lifted away from the sup ply body and a cut-off ltnife individual thereto is swung across the lower end of the mold to sever the mold chargefrom the supply body. The charge severingmechanism ordithe cutting edge of the knife and. any pertion of the mold body Obviouslytoo great a clearance will result in highly unsatisfactory conditions being'set upsuch for example, as rough cut-off and a tendency to pull a portion of the charge of glass out of the mold cavity. Too high. an adjustment of the knife will result in the knife striking one 7 side of the mold; It is apparent that operapositioning of the cut-off knives and molds tion' under these conditions will not only dull the knife in a short period of time butin ad dition will tend to chip away portions of the mold. Uncertain and'varied degrees of expansion and contraction of the molds and other conditions more'or less beyond the op erators control result in inaccurate relative atthe time of severance of the mold charges.

' Anobjectjof the present invention is the provision of manually adjustable means which'will operate automaticallyyto insure absolute accurate alignment of the cut-off.

knife and mold during each and every cutr ting operation irrespective of contraction or expansion of the molds and whether or not the mold always'comesout of dip to a constant level. To this end the knifeand its. holder are supported for limited up and-down f movement on the lower end of the usual rock shaft. there being pro'vided'means for yield-.

inglysupporting the holderand knife above the normal cutting plane and cooperating pilots or thelike on the mold and holder for bringing the'knife to the proper cutting level just in advance of its movement'beneath the mold. 1 05 Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. i

Inthedrawingsz w i 1 Fig-lisa fragmentary front elevational view of a conventional mold group showing partly in section one embodiment of the pres.-

ent invention. i Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view withparts in section illustrating the oscillating and raising and lowering means :76 'fortheknifefl 'K s Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View illustrating two successivepositions of the cut-off knife relative to a blank mold.

Fig. 4: isa detail sectional elevational view. so

isa sectional elevatioiial View, show ing the relative positions of thekni'fefland mold'just prior to the actual cutting operationl, .1

Fig. 6 is a view similarto Fig. 5 taken along the line VI"-VI of Fig. 3, showing therelative positionsof theknife and mold upon completion of the charge 'severi'ngope-ration.

' The present inventon is illustrated 'as embodied ina mold group constructed I and adapted to be operated in accordance with the disclosure 'in LaFra-nce' Patent 1,185,687, dated June 6, 1916, to which referencemay be had for details not fully'disclosed herein.

' In -more' or less general terms the mold group includes a blank mold unit 10c0nsisting of adipping frame 1 1, a dipping head-12,

and a partible neck and body blank molds l3 and 14 respectively, mounted on the lower side of said dipping head. This dipping 10 j a frame 11 together with the molds carried I thereby move up and down at regular time intervals as a part of the mold charging operation. v

The charge severing or cut-off mechanism which separates gathered mold charges from the supply body of glass (not shown) is mounted upon the dipping frame in the usual manner as disclosed in the'LaFrance patent above ident fied. This mechanism may conv 'SISt of avertical rock shaft 15 ournaled in bearings 16 which a. suitably connected to the dipping frame 11. The knife and parts directly associated therewith and comprising the present invention are mounted upon the lower end of the rock shaft as will be brought out presently; The upper end of the rock shaft is connected to a conventional or anyv preferred form of adplsting means whereby '20 the cutting level of the knife may be varied as required by molds of different lengths.

: The rock shaft is adapted to be oscillated and reciprocated during each cycle of opera tions. Oscillation of the shaft is obtained by means of a pinion 17 on the. upper end of said shaft meshing with a rack bar l8'which is connected to a slide 19, the latter carrying a cam-roll .20 running in" a cam 21. The cam is shaped to reciprocate thera-ck bar at regular time intervals and thereby oscillate t-he shaft. Reciprocation of the rock shaft 15 is obtained by mechanism including a bell crank lever 22 suitably connected to the upper por tion of the rock shaftand through a: rod 255 to a slide 24, saidsli'de carrying a cam, roll 25 engaging a stationary cam 26. This cam 26 is of suchshape that it operates through the bell crank lever 22 to lower the knifeaway from the mold shortly after the charge severing operation and later raises the knife to the level occupied prior to its cutting stroke. The

above construction and operation are in accordance with the teaching in the above identitiedpatent.

A rock arm 27 is mounted at the lower end of the rock shaft 15 and has removably secured thereto a knife holder 28 on which the cutter 29 or'knife is carried. The rock arm 27 extends radially from a collar 30 I which is keyed to the reduced lower end 31 of the rock shaft. A. shoulder 31 at the upper end of the reduced portion forms a stop against which the collar normally bears under spring pressure. This collar 30 is externally screw threaded for engagement with internal threads 32 on 'a spring 'caslng 33 or housing'within which a coil spring 34 is arranged. This coil spring encircles the lower portion of the rock shaft 15 and. is confined between the upper end wall 35 of the casingf33 and a retaining ring 36 which is ninned or'otherwise rigidly connected tothe shaft. This spring yieldingly supports the rock arm 27 and parts directly connected thereto in their uppermostposition on the rock sh aft causing engagement between the collar 30 and shoulder 31 A set screw 37 is employed to prevent premature relative rotation between the collar 30 on the rock arm and the casing 33. A nut 38 is threaded on the lower end of the rock shaft 15 merely as a precautionary measure to insure against separation of the rock arm 27 and rock shaft 15. The

rock shaft 15 under normal operating conditions will be adjusted so that the knife 29 the blank mold 14 and knife holder :28. The

pilot on the blank mold consists of-anattach ing plate 39 secured to one of the mold sections and carrying an arm 40130 the lower side of which is fixed a hardened bearing plate 41, said plate and arm being disposed in a horizontal plane and extending substantially in the direction of the cut-off'-mecha-- nism. The pilot on the knife holder 28 consists of an upstanding arm 42 provided: in-' wardly from the outer end of the. holder and carrying at its upper end a cam 43 which engages the hardened plate 41 just in advance of, during, and for a'period of time following the cuttingoperation. This cam 43 includes an inclined surface 44, the upper end of which merges into a horizontal portion 45.

In operation, it will be assumed that the rock shaft15 and spring casing 33 are-a djusted to yieldinglysupport the'lrnife 29' substantially in the plane'indicated in :Fig. 5 in which it is a short distance above the upper end of the mold. Also, this adjustment is such that the lower end of the inclined portion 44 of said cam 43 is slightly below the hardened plate 41 on the pilot carried by the mold to insure proper engagement between the two pilots. W ith movementef the shaft to swing the knife across the lower end ofxthe mold, said pilots are brought into engagement with each. other. Immediately, the

knife is lowered sufficiently to clear the mold just the distance necessary tov obtaina satisfactory severing operation. I Then following compacting of thisglass in the mold and against the'knife (an ordinary operation) the rock shaft is lowered and rotated to return the knife to its inoperativeposition.

Such accurate positioning of the knife is assured regardless of variation in'the -length of molds due to expansion or contraction and whether or not the molds come out of dip to a constant level. n The tension of thcspring I 34 may be regulated to insure engagement betweenthe collar 30 and shoulderI31"merely a by relative rotation and collar 30. 1

the spirit'and scope of the of the spring housing 33 I Modifications may be "resorted to within appended claims. VVhat I' claim is:- i g i '1. 'In combination, a blank mold having a charging opening at one end, charge severingmechanism including a knife mounted for oscillation in a plane at right angles to the axis of the mold, mechanism for oscillating the knife, yielding means normally supporting the knife out of alignment with a predetermined cutting plane, and means comprising a guide on the vmold operating automatically to move the knife into said cutting plane as'it approaches themold during the cutting stroke. i a i 3 2. In eombination, a blank mold havinga charging opening at one-end, charge severing mechanism including a kn'ife mounted for oscillation in a plane at right angles to the axis of the mold, mechanism for oscillating the knife, yielding means normally supporting the knife out ofalignment with a predeterminedcutting plane, and means including a pair of cooperating pilots on the blank I mold and knife for moving the knife into said cutting plane as it approaches the mold during the cutting stroke.

3. In combination, a blank mold having a downwardly facing charging opening, charge severing mechanism including a vertical rock shaft arranged alongside the mold, a knife holderrmounted forilimited vertical movement on the lower end, ofthe shaft, a

' knife, on the holder, yielding'means normally supporting said holder in a plane above a predetermined cutting plane, means for rocking the shaft to swing the knife across the lower end ofthe mold,and means operable prior to'movement of the knife beneath the downwardly facing charge severing mechanism including a vermold to lower the knife and holder to said cutting plane. 4. In combination, a blank mold having a charging. opening,

tical rock shaft arranged alongside; the mold, a knifeholder mounted for Iimited'vertical movement on the lower end of the shaft, a

knife on the holder,yielding meansnorma-l- 1y supporting said holder in a plane above its normal cutting plane, meansfor rocking the shaft to swing the knife across the lower end of the mold, and a pair of cooperating pilots on the mold and knifev holder operable to lower the knife and holder to said normal cutting plane just in advance of movement supporting said holder in a plane above normal cutting plane, meansfor rockingithe shaft to swing theknife a'cross'the lower end .of the mold, a pair of cooperating' pilots on the mold and knife holder operable to lower the knife and holder tosaid normal. cutting I i j plane just in advance of movement *of the? knifebeneath the mold, said pilots including an' arnr extending laterally from the mold, and aicam supported on 'the holder' gagement with said arm.

6. In combination, a blank mold having a downwardly" facing charging charge severing mechanism includingca vertical rock shaftarranged alongside the mold, a rock arm mounted for limited vertical movement on the lower end of said shaft and fixed against rotation thereon, a knife sup ported onthe rock arm for movement across the bottom of the mold,means for oscillatin knife, yielding means normally holding the rock arm in its uppermost position relative to the shaft, and means in part carried byv the mold for lowering the" holder in opposition to said yielding means, thereby placing the knife in a predetermined cutting-plane'prior a downwardly facing charging opening,

charge severing mechanism including a verfor enopening,

"the shaft to'thereby periodically move sai,

to movement of the knife beneath theimold. 7. In combination, a blank moldhaving tical rock shaft arrangedalongside the mold,

a rock arm= mounted for limited vertical movement on the lower .end of said shaft and fixedaagainst rotation thereon, a knife supported on the rock arm for movement across; thebottom of the mold, means for "oscillating the shaft to thereby periodically move said knife, a coil spring encircling-the rock shaft above the rock arm, means connecting the rock arm andspring whereby the latter normally supports the holder in its uppermost positionon the shaft, and means carried b the mold for lowering the knifein opposi- 3 tion to thespring tension. to "a predetermined cutting plane in advance of movement of the knife beneath the mold.

v 8'. In combination, a blank mold haying a downwardly facing charging-opening,

charge severing mechanism including a vertical rock shaft arranged alongside the mold,

against rotation thereon, a knife supported on the rock'arm for movement across the" bottom of themold, means ,for oscillating Iarock arm mounted for limited vertical movev a ment on the lower endof said shaft and fixed the shaft to thereby periodically move said 'knife, a coil spring encircling the rock shaft above the rock arm,fa collar fixed to the shaft and supporting the spring, a casing enclosing the springand collar, means ad- ,justably connecting theicasing and rock arm whereby the tension of the spring maybe varied, said spring yieldingly supporting the knife in itsuppermost position relativetotheshaft, and means operable prior to-movement of theknife beneath themold-tolower-the knife and-holder on the shaftin opposition to the spring. u a I 9. In combination, aiblank mold having a downwardly facing charging opening,

charge severing mechanism including a--vertlcalerock shaft arranged alongside the mold,

a rock arm mounted for limited vertical movement on the. lower end of said shaft-and fixed against rotationthereon, a knife sup ported on therock arm for-movement across the bottom of the mold, means for'oseillating the shaftto-'thereby;periodically move said knife, a coil. spring eneirclingthe rock shaft above the rock arm, a'collar fixed to the shaft and supporting the spring, a casingenclosing the spring and collar, means adjustably connecting the casing and rock arm w-liereloy'the tension of the spring may: be

varied, said spring yieldingly supporting the knife in its uppermost position relativeto the shaft, and means operable priorto .movementof the knife-beneath the mold to lower the knife and holder on the shaft in opposition to'the spring, the last named means .including cooperating pilots on the mold and knife. i

v 10. In combination, a blanklmold'having a downwardly facing charging opening,

a charge severing mechanism including a vertical rock shaft arranged' alongside the mold, a rock arm mounted for limitedvertlcal movement on the lower end-of said'x'shaft andifixed against rotation thereon,.-a' knife supported on the rock arm for movement across the bottom of the mold, means for oscillating the shaft to thereby periodically move said knife, a coil spring encircling the rockshaft above the rock arm, a collar fixed to the shaft and supporting the spring, a casing enclosing the spring and=collar, means adjustablyconnecting the casing and rock arm wherebythe tension of the spring may 1 be varied, said spring yieldingly supporting the knife in its uppermost positionlrelative to the shaft, and means 'operable p'rior to movement ofthe knife beneath the mold to lower the knife and holder'on the shaft in opposition'to the spring includinga pilot on the-mold in proximity to the charging opening and-a piloton the knife having a cam and supporting the spring, a casing enclos =ing the spring and collar, means adjustably connecting the casing and rock arm whereby the tension ofk the spring maybe varied, said spring yieldingly supporting the'knife in its uppermost; position relative to the shaft, 'means operable prior to. movement'of the knife beneath the mold to'lower the knife and holder on; theshaft in opposition; to the,

springincluding an arm extending laterally from the ;moldin proximity to the charging ;opening,.and a pilot movable with the knife a'nd includingan inclined surface adapted for engagement with said arm to lower the knife. I

y 12. .In combination, a blank'mold having .a'rfdownwardly facing charging opening,

chargesevering mechanism-including a vertical rock shaft arranged alongside the mold,

said shaft having a diametrically reduced lower end" providing a downwardly facing shoulder at the upper end of the reduced portion, 'anI'OCk arm keyed to said reduced portion and mounted for upand down movement thereon, a knife and'knife'holder on said rock arm, spring means yieldingly supporting the knife holder in its uppermost position on the shaft and in contact with said shoulder, means for imparting rotary movement to the shaft to thereby swing theknife across therbottom' ofthe mold,andmeans carried by the mold and knife holder for loweri-ng'the rock arm, knife holder, and knife, away from said holder'to a predeter- 'mined' cutting plane prior to movement across'thelower endof the mold.

' EDVV-A'RD L. HUGHES, 

